The proposed expansion of the World Test Championship to include all 12 full-member nations is unlikely to receive enough support, according to Hindustan Times. An internal working group recommended the move, but concerns over the financial viability and cost of hosting Test matches remain a hurdle.
The World Test Championship gave the longest format a new lease of life by adding greater competition to bilateral series. However, as the fourth cycle in the WTC gets underway, the International Cricket Council is facing pressure to keep Test cricket relevant and attract younger audiences worldwide.
WTC Expansion Faces Financial Hurdles as Smaller Boards Raise Concerns
An ICC working group led by Cricket New Zealand’s Roger Twose proposed expanding the World Test Championship to all 12 full members. However, the plan has not gained enough internal support because of the financial burden of hosting Test matches.
Ireland and Afghanistan are wary of staging even standalone Tests because a single match can cost around $1 million. With limited broadcast and commercial revenue, smaller boards may struggle to recover those costs unless they host high-profile teams such as India or England.
Afghanistan also faces the added expense of using adopted home venues outside the country. While the two newer Test nations have received increased funding, the cost of hosting matches remains a major concern and makes regular home Tests difficult to sustain.
Zimbabwe Pushes for WTC Spot Despite Uneven Match-Up Concerns
Cricket Zimbabwe continues to push for a place in the World Test Championship. Zimbabwe played 11 Tests last year and also reached an arrangement for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to pay touring fees for their away Test series, giving the board greater financial support.
The proposed expansion also faces questions over the quality of some match-ups. The India-Afghanistan Test in New Chandigarh attracted a small crowd, while Afghanistan were bowled out twice in just 94.3 overs across three days.
Such contests can make it harder to attract fans and generate sufficient commercial returns. That concern adds another challenge for the ICC as it weighs whether expanding the World Test Championship would strengthen Test cricket or create additional financial and competitive problems.
ICC Looks at New Ways to Keep WTC Relevant
The current World Test Championship structure is expected to remain in place, allowing member boards to arrange bilateral series based on commercial viability. At present, India, England and Australia regularly play five-Test series against one another on a home-and-away basis.
The ICC is also considering ways to make the World Test Championship more engaging during its two-year cycle. Interest often rises sharply only when the final approaches, while the wider competition can struggle to keep fans engaged between major series.
A revised points system or other structural changes could be considered to address that issue. The ICC is recognizing that the format may need to be “rightsized” rather than expanded without considering the financial realities of every member board.
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